Manchester Occupied

As planned, an occupation of Albert Square next to Manchester town hall began as the TUC march was winding its way round the city centre.

The occupation starts

The photographs show the situation at 3pm, with 120 to 150 people in the square and 20 coppers looking on.
For more text and photographs, plus photographs of the main march, go to:

http://owlsotherblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/manchester-occupied.html

pinkolady
Homepage: http://carol-laidlaw.blogspot.com

Additions

More occupymcr pics

03.10.2011 08:21

From yesterday - 2nd October 2011

Lucy

Albert Square occupation report

03.10.2011 09:07

OccupyMCR this morning 9.30am

Police kettle / hassle last night (via @ManyHeadedHydra)

Yesterday saw the occupation of Albert Square in Manchester outside the town hall. Throughout the afternoon and evening several open mic assembly sessions were held with people speaking about various issues with the common themes being resistance to cuts, community organising, direct democracy, and occupations. There was also a sound system pumping out tunes and some dancing in the rain.

The persistent rain proved to be a discouraging factor and after several hours the size of the crowd pretty much matched the size of the tarps strung across lamposts to provide some cover (earlier the police had tried to prevent people rigging up the shelters).

Later in the evening people heckled guests attending tory party fringe meetings at the town hall and the police went around grabbing beers off a few people.

Around 9pm a group of 20-30 people with a sound system on their way to the occupation from the squatted convergence centre were hassled by the cops and there were a few arrests.

http://www.occupymanchester.org

30,000 march against Conservatives in Manchester

http://manchestermule.com/article/30000-march-against-conservatives-in-manchester

“Occupy! Manchester is based on this desire to rediscover ‘direct action’ as a popular political form”

http://shiftmag.co.uk/?p=489

Webcam

http://www.manchesterdda.net/webcams/albert-square/?q=hd

Lucy

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Explanation

02.10.2011 23:56

I would have preferred to do a full report on Indymedia but have been having technical difficulties getting photos and text to post on the site, and so I have use a link to my blog as a way round the problem.
Additions updating people on the situation in Albert Square would be welcome, as would anything about Squattastic. The last I heard, the police were beseiging the squatted convergence centre early on Saturday morning.

pinkolady

Excellent march

03.10.2011 04:53

Looks like the occupation was a bit of a wash-out but the march was excellent, good coverage here.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E-SScSsrhI

Next big demos UK Uncut on Westminster Bridge - Sunday October 9th at 1pm + 9th Nov as well

E-mail the Tories -

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/06/481463.html
E-mail the Lib Dems -

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/09/484794.html

Morning all

Good video of some speakers at assembly

03.10.2011 13:29

Occupy Albert Square Manchester 2nd October 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hxXjdGK10c

vids

Current updates

12.10.2011 19:26

@OccupyMcr

The website was only used for the march, the camp has no access. For current updates direct from camp please check #occupymcr on twitter or Occupy Manchester on facebook.

Thanks for your support. RevPaulCA

ps. Support gathering in Piccadilly Gardens for the 15th, 11am, bring butties, we're having a picnic.

Rev. Paul Farnhill
mail e-mail: paul@cannabisassembly.org
Homepage: http://cannabisassembly.org/